Lawn slams Bradford administrators
Mark Lawn, the former Bradford City AFC joint owner who had previously declared an interest in buying Bradford Bulls, has criticised both the RFL and the way that the administrators are currently running the Bulls.
The Bulls are in their fifth week of administration, with four potential buyers rumoured to be interested in purchasing trhe club.
Lawn had been interested in the club, but pulled out when reports that a ‘big money man’, rumoured to be John Madjeski, was also interested.
Such an individual has not surfaced, though, and Lawn feels that the continuing uncertainty over what punishment will be inflicted on Bulls for going bankrupt, is exerting a negative influence on the situation.
“I don’t think the administrator really knows what he is doing. The RFL certainly doesn’t,” LAwn told the Bradford Telegraph & Argus.
“The Rugby League have got to tell you what you are dealing with – at the moment you don’t what division the club will be in or the points deduction.
“Then people can reassess and decide ‘do I have enough money to put the right business plan together’?
“That’s why the club keeping going into admin because the RFL won’t let people know exactly what’s going to happen.
“They should have come out with that from day one so everyone knows where they stand.
“You can’t tell the administrator what you’re going to do and then you find out you’re dropping down a league. It’s a ridiculous situation.
“How would anyone else take on a business not knowing where you are starting off and what the bottom line is? People won’t just throw money at it – it’s nonsensical.”
Lawn also believes that the situation has become so desperate that the best measure for the Bulls might be to dissolve the club and reform as a new entity.
With an estimated £2million required just to keep the club afloat next season, he feels that pulling the plug and starting again may prove to be most palatable of several difficult options.
“The current situation is a guestimate all the time,” he added.
“I don’t believe there’s a man with a lot of money coming in or the deal would have been done straight off. But there’s still that expectation.”